A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has an electrode sheet in which a layer of active material particles is formed on a foil-type current collector, for example. Such an electrode sheet is prepared, for example, in the following manner. A paste-type mixture is prepared by mixing active material particles, a binder, and a thickening agent together at a predetermined ratio. The resultant mixture is coated on a current collector, and then dried. Thereafter, the coated current collector is pressed. (See, for example, JP 2013-012327 A, Comparative Examples 1 and 2.)
JP 2013-012327 A also discloses a method of manufacturing an electrode sheet that can improve productivity and also increase the bonding strength between the current collector and a layer of active material particles. The method of manufacturing an electrode sheet disclosed therein includes coating a binder solution on a current collector, supplying and depositing a powder component containing at least a binder and an active material onto the current collector coated with the binder solution, and pressing the deposited layer in the thickness direction while heating it. This manufacturing method does not require a drying step and therefore improves productivity. Moreover, the binder is allowed to remain in a greater amount in a region of the layer of the active material particles that is near the current collector of the electrode sheet. This makes it possible to increase the bonding strength between the current collector and the layer of the active material particles.